Railway-switch



(No Model.) G. H. WHITE.

RAILWAY' swIToE.

rrmzfI Patentad 1390.5, y188.2. e *V Y MQEEEES. Y Im/EIND?? PATENT EricE.

CHARLES H. VHITE, OF-BOSTON, MASSAGE USF/DTS.

RAI LWAY-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,761, dated December 5, 1882.

' Application tiled May 24,1882. (No model.)

To all whom -it may concernl Be it known that I, CHARLES H. WHITE, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachuv setts, have invented an Improvement in Rail- 5 way-Switches, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My `invention relates to railway-switches, and is embodied in aswitch that isautomatically operated by the approaching train, so as to be placed in line with the branch from which the train is moving, regardless of the position the said switch may be in before the train reaches it, and also to enable the engineer of a train approaching the branching portion of the road to cause the switch to be set so as to direct the train onto either branch as may be desired. At the switch or place where a single line otl rails approaching from one side is ing from the other side, the rail onone side ot' the said single line is made continuous with the corresponding rail of one of the branches, which may forconvenience be called the main line,77 and the rail at the other side is made continuons with the other branch `or siding. The

rail of each branch on the same side with Vthe continuous rail of the other branch terminates at a sufficient distance from thesaid continuous rail to permit the passage of the flanges of the wheels'when moving on the continuous rail. The movable portion ofthe switch consists ot' two points connected rigidly with a frame-work having a sliding movement transverse to the track, by which one or the other of the said points is placed against the adjacent continuous rail where it forms a connection and guide for the wheel-flange from the Vsaid continuous to the discontinuous rail, while the point on the other side of the track is removed a sufficient distance from the adjacent continuous rail to permit the passage of the wheel-liangcs, for which it also serves as a guide. One of the said points thus acts on the flanges of the outside or tread side, and the other point acts on the vinside of the wheellianges, and each wheel of each pair is thus independently guided to the proper branch, and the tendency of the Wheels in passing is to retain the points in the position they are set, so that it is impossible for a pair of wheels l to leave thebranch upon which the preceding to be connected with either of two lines branch` wheels have passed. Automatic switchoper ating levers are employed in conjunction with each ot' the discontinuous rails, respectively, they beingconnected with the movable points and operated by the flanges ofthe wheels approachin g from either branch to place the said points in proper position to connect the discontinuous rail forming a part of the said branch with the continuous rail on the same side ot' the track. with the movable points are employed at either side of the single portion of the track, either lever being operated by a suitabledevice controlled by the engineer of the approaching train to move the points so as to guide the wheels to theV corresponding branch.

rlhe invention further consists in t-he mechanism by which the movable points are operated in order to direct the vehicles to the dif ferent branches, as desired, the said mechanism being such that when locked it prevents tampering with the switch to change the position of the points, although it leaves the said points free to be moved automatically by the approaching trains.

I am aware that switches have been devised for automatical operation of trains approaching in either direction, and I do not broadly claim mechanism l'or accomplishing this result.

Figure l shows in plan View a port-ion of a railway havinga switch embodying this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof, in section, on line :c w, Fig. l; Figs. 3, 4, and 5, transverse sections on lines y y, z z, and w x of Fig. 1, respectively; Fig. 6, a sideelevation of the stand containing the switchbperatiug mechanism; Fig. 7, a plan view, and Figs. and 9 details thereof.

The rails a a of the single or unbranched portion of the track are made continuous, one to each brancl1,while the rail b of the one Levers similarly connected..

branch or siding approaches the rail a, as shown,

Ioo l thereof, and with the said tapered end s are securely' fastened to the continuous rails by means of the clamps e, having one end litssl in every way as firm as any portion ot' the the rail a' onto the rail b. nected points are moved transversely to the ted over the flange of the said continuous rail and its other end provided with a key-seat for the key or wedge f, acting between the said seat and the shouldered face of the bed-block c, as shown in Fig. 5.

The movable portion of the switch, by which the vehicles may be directed from the rails a a upon either branch a b or a b', as desired, consists ofthe two points gg', rigidly connected together from end to end, as by the cross-bars h, thus forming a t'rame-work adapted to slide transversely to the track c a upon a bed-plate, i. (See Fig. 4.) The said points each have one side parallel with the adjacent continuous rail and their other side parallel with the opposite continuous rail, and when moved so that one of the points, as g', is in contact with the adjacent continuous rail, a', the other side vof' the said point is in line with the discontinuous rail b, the said point thus forming a connecting-piece between the rails a and b for the tread and flanges of' the wheels parallel with the opposite continuous rail, a, so that the Wheels are guided to the branch a b. When the point g is in contact with the rail a the opposite point, g, is removed from the railta a sufficient distance to permit the wheel-tianges to pass'between the said rail and the point, which thus serves as a guide or guard rail to prevent the wheel-flanges from passing from When the contrack in the direction ofthe arrow 2 the point g is brought in contact with the rail a, forming a connection therefrom to the rail b', lwhile the point g serves as a guide for the iianges of the wheels passing along the rail a', so that the wheels are guided to the branch d b. Guard-railsj, at either side of the nnbranched portion at a of' the track, guide the Wheelanges to the proper side of the points, and the latter then guide them to the proper side of' the discontinuous rails b b', so that even if a wheel is loose upon its axle it is impossible for it to leave the proper rail at the switch. It will be seen that the connected points have a sliding movement at both ends and throughout their entire length, and that in either posit-ion one of' the said points rests in contact throughout its entire length with one of the fixed continuous rails, so that the switch has as rigid a connection with the sleepers and is track. The points are moved to direct the vehicles to the diiierent branches by the bar k,

provided with a socket to receive a stud, l,

yielding of the bar lr, which is provided with recesses 3, as shown, to receive the shaft m at the end of its movement. The shaft m is provided with a target, m', (see Figs. l and 4,) which, by its quarter-rotation, is made to present its face or its edge to be viewed from an approaching train to thus indicate the position ot the switch. The shaft m is rotated to shift the points by a lever, n, pivoted thereto, as shown in Fig. 9, so that it may be turned at right angles to the shaft in order to rotate it or may hang down at the side thereof, as shown in full lines.

In order to lock the switch so as to prevent its being tampered with and yet permit it to be automatically operated by the train, as hereinafter described, the said shaft m and lever a, when hanging down, as shown in full lines, Fig. 9, are inclosed in a housing or stand, o, Fig. 6, provided with a door, o', of sufcient width to permit the lever 'n to be raised when iu any position assumed b`yitin the movement ofthe points.` The door o is provided with a lock, o2, to prevent access of unauthorized persons to the lever a, so that at'ter the switch is once set andthe lever a locked in the stand o, such persons will be powerless to shif't the switch. An opening, 9, is let't above the door o', sufficient to permit the lever n to extend "out therethrough, so that the door may be closed without dropping the lever n when it is will be seen that the tendency of the wheels passing over the points is to retain them in the proper position, instead of to move them rtherefrom.

The point-moving bar L is also connected with a lever, p, pivoted at .4, and connected with a crossbar or link, i', (see Fig. 5,) connected with levers s s', pivoted at 5 in position to be acted upon by the flanges ofthe wheels passing over the discontinuous rails b b ofthe two branches of' the track. The said Vwheeltianges in passing over either of the said rails b' or b', in moving toward the rear end of' the points, force the corresponding lever, s or s', away from the said rail, (itnot already removed therefrom,) and thus through the link r, lever p, and rod lr, place the points iu proper position to connect the said discontinuous rail with the corresponding continuous rail and to cause the vehicles to pass properly from theibranch to the single or unbranched portion of the track. As shown in Fig. l the points are in position for a train to pass from the branch a b to the line tt a', and the lever s will notbe moved by the train passing from the said branch, as it is already a sufficient dista-nce from said rail. 1f, however, a train should move in the direction ot' the arrow 6 over the branch a b', the flanges would force the lever s away from the rail b', and thus, through the link i', lever p, and bar k, will move the 'points in the direction of the arrow 2 into pro'per'position for the wheels to pass from the branch a b to the line a a. It will be seen that the IOO IOS

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265,761 Y l s points are thus automatically set in proper position by a train moving in the direction of the arrow 6 over either branch a b or a b.

The bar k is also connected with a lever, t, connected with a cross-bar, u, having attached thereto levers n t at the outside of the main rails a' af, so as not to be affected by the wheels passing over the said rails.

Projections or tappet-arms w w', (see Fig. 3,) carried by the locomotive in advance ot' the wheels, may be thrust down independently by the engineer, so as to pass along the outer edge of the corresponding rail, and, entering between it and the corresponding lever, force the latter outward fromthe rail, and thus move the points to directthe train upon either branch, as desired, according as one or the other of the said arms is depressed. As shown in Fig. 3 the arm w is depressed, thus acting" on the lever@ and throwing or retaining the points in position for the main line a b. If the arm fw were depressed, it would force thelever o away from the rail a', and thus through the inter mediate connection move the points in the directionof the arrow 2, causing them to guide the train onto the branch a.' b.

I am aware that points or switchrails have been actuated by the wheels or projections carried by trains acting upon levers connected by intermediate mechanism with the movable points or rails.

I claim- 1. In a railway-switch, the continuous rails and discontinuous rails of the single main track and branches, arranged as described,combined with the two points gg', and their rigid pointsupporting frame-work having asliding movement at both ends and throughout its length transverse -to the track, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

` 2. The combination, with the single track and tracks branching therefrom, of the points g g and the rigid point-supporting frame-work therefor, having a sliding movement at both ends and throughout its entire length, and the connected point-operatin g levers s s', actuated by the wheels passing over each branch, and the intermediate leverp, connected with the said levers s s' and with the rigid point-supporting frame-work, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the single track and tracks branching therefrom, of the points g g and the rigid point-'supporting frame-work therefor, having a sliding movement at both ends and throughout its entire length, and the connected point-operating levers t o', located at either side of the single portion of the track, and the intermediate lever t, connected with the said levers c e and with the point-supportin gframe-work, substantiall y as described.

4. The movable points and their actuatingbar and levers adapted to be operated by the passing trains, combined with the targetshaft, lever pivoted thereto, and housing adapted to receive the said shaft and lever when parallel with one another, substantially as described.

5. The movable points and point-supporting frame and the bar k, connected therewith, and the intermediate levers, p t, connected with Vthe said bar and with links transverse to the track, combined with automatic' actuating-levers s s', connected with one of the said links and located at the flangeguiding side of a rail of each branch, and the actuating-levers o u', connected with the other of the said links, and located at the outside of each rail of the single portion ofthe track, all the said levers operating in planes substantially paralielwith the road-bed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. l

CHARLES H. 1WHITE. 

